Diane Broadnax examines a plaque listing the achievements of her father, Retired Army Maj. Gen. Oliver Dillard, during a ceremony at Marion Military Institute's Alabama Military Hall of Honor on Friday.

Two Alabama officers. Two different wars. Two battles against overwhelming odds.

One was a black lieutenant destined to be a general after battlefield heroics in Korea not long after America's military was integrated.

The other was a white captain who directed artillery strikes near his own position as Viet Cong troops, outnumbering his men 10-1, approached.

Oliver Dillard was wounded twice in Korea. Stanley Rodimon was wounded once in Vietnam. Both received Silver Stars - America's third highest military medal for heroism.

Dillard, 87, a retired major general who lives in Michigan, was too ill to enjoy the early autumn sunshine enveloping Marion Military Institute's parade ground Friday morning. His daughter was on hand to represent him.

Rodimon, 73, still has pain from wounds incurred in Vietnam. He was in the front row during the Alabama Military Hall of Honor induction ceremony.

"They caught us in an ambush and opened up with machine guns," he said. "We were lucky to survive. We had 120 men going in and 32 left when the fighting stopped."

Throughout the battle, Rodimon kept moving among his men, exposing himself to enemy fire and encouraging his troops to keep fighting, even after bullets ripped through his left leg.

Commendations approved by supervisors praised him for his "singular impressive display of battlefield courage."

Linda Rodimon sat beside her husband, a big smile on her face during the ceremony at MMI, where they fell in love as teenagers. Their fathers taught at the school.

He was 19 and she was 17 when they eloped to Mississippi. Their love story remains as strong now as it was years ago.

"It's the best thing I've ever done," said Rodimon, who left the army as a major, opting to enter private business.

The Rodimons are proud grandparents who now live in Georgia but enjoy coming back to the little town that means so much to them.

Diane Broadnax, who lives in Maryland, learned a lot about the Korean War from her famous father, especially the close calls during battles in which his military legend began to grow.

"I'd ask my dad how he was spared when so many others weren't," she said, as she waited for MMI cadets to march by the large reviewing area. "He never really went into details."

One story that has stayed with her through the years was the time her dad returned from a combat mission "with a flak jacket full of bullet holes."

The Army's 24th Infantry Regiment arrived in Korea in late July of 1950, not long after North Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel in an attempt to overrun ill-prepared South Korean forces.

Dillard's heroism was not overlooked by his commanders, one of whom described him as "a superb officer" who used the elements of "surprise and speed" during battles.

Dillard began his military career in the enlisted ranks, and it wasn't long before he became an officer due to his leadership abilities. He was one of America's first black officers to become a general.

His military career began not long after President Harry Truman ordered the end to racial segregation of America's armed forces.

MMI President David Mollahan, a retired Marine colonel, listed exploits of the two inductees. Former Marine Maj. Gen. Gary Cooper spoke briefly, but poignantly at the ceremony.

During his speech, Cooper noted the 30th anniversary last week of the Beirut bombing that claimed the lives of more than 200 American troops when a terrorist blew up the Marine barracks.

"Our great nation says you can be whatever you want to be," said Cooper, who became the first black officer to lead a Marine infantry unit in combat during the war in Vietnam.

Cooper saved the best for last and was loudly applauded at the end of his speech.

"On America's worst day, there's not a better nation to live in," he said.

The Alabama Military Hall of Honor was established in 1975 by then-Gov. George Wallace. Since that time, more than 50 military heroes have been inducted.

Several recipients of the Medal of Honor are among inductees and some of them have attained national recognition.

Among the most famous are Maj. Gen. William Gorgas, who became surgeon general of the U.S. and developed a cure for yellow fever. Another was Howard Gilmore, who gave up his life to save his submarine crew in World War II.

In addition to individuals, groups also have been honored. In 2003, the five Crommelin brothers, who served with distinction in World War II, were inducted. Three years later, the Tuskegee Airmen also joined the elite group.